Presentation provided by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2012

1. Adopting the Performance Assessment of Contributions and Effectiveness of Speech-Language Pathologists An Alternative to Value Added Assessment Presentation provided byAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2012

2. Purpose of this Presentation This power point is intended to present the PACE to others who will be involved the decision making process regarding the adoption of an evaluation system for SLPs.

3. Agenda • Review of the PACE • Rationale for PACE • Component objectives for PACE • PACE portfolio • Next steps

4. What is the… Performance Assessment of Contributions and Effectiveness of Speech-Language Pathologists (PACE)?

5. PACE • PACE is a method for determining: • the value and contributions that an SLP makes to individual students, families and the school community • the effectiveness of SLPs • professional development priorities for SLPs.

6. Why PACE? • Ensures that the evaluation measures accurately reflect the speech-language pathologist’s (SLP) unique role in contributing to a child’s overall performance. • Ensures that the SLP is contributing to the success of the school community.

7. Why PACE instead of VAA? • Research to date has primarily focused on implications of use of VAA with classroom teachers. • Notable concerns surfaced, such as difficulty linking student outcomes to one teacher and uncertainty about the accuracy of imputation models for missing student data.

8. Why PACE instead of VAA? • Value Added ratings can’t disentangle the many influences on student progress. • Value Added models of teacher effectiveness are inconsistent. • Teachers are advantaged or disadvantaged based on students they teach. Darling-Hammond, L., Amrein-Beardsley, A., Haertel, E., Rothstein, J. Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness Kappan, March 2012, (8-15).

9. Why PACE instead of VAA? • The goals of both teachers and SLPs are related, but • Goals of an SLP typically address foundational skills that support learning • Goals of a teacher targeting specific subject areas • Collaboration opportunities are different • Classroom teachers have the opportunity to collaborate and consult with others teaching the same grade or subjects • Typically there is only one SLP in a school, and that SLP often serves a variety of students across teachers and may be assigned to multiple schools

10. Why PACE instead of VAA? ASHA’s Value-Added Working Team was not able to identify any VAA models that specifically incorporated SLPs.

11. Why PACE instead of VAA? Evaluating the value that an SLP brings to the school or connecting their value to specific student  performance is a challenge when compared to a classroom teacher. • An elementary classroom teacher spends between 4-5 hours a dayproviding direct instruction to the same group of students. • An SLP typically spends approximately 1 hour per week with students on the caseload.

12. Why PACE instead of VAA? • PACE is reflective of • The unique roles and responsibilities of a school-based SLP, based on Roles and Responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologists in the Schools (ASHA,2010) • The unique working environment of the SLP • Multiple measures of performance

13. Considerations for Evaluation Systems • Optimal features in accountability measures include a comprehensive and rich overview of classroom activities and behaviors;andapplication across teachers, subjects, and context for both formative and summative assessments. • Of all of the measures reviewed, the most flexible measures of the unique role of the SLP include: • portfolio assessment • “classroom” observation • “teacher” self-report

14. PACE System The PACE system is comprised of: 1. Professional Performance Review Process for the School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist (ASHA, 2006) • “Classroom” observation • “teacher” self-report 2. Performance Assessment of Contributions and Effectiveness of SLPs (PACE) Matrix • portfolio assessment

15. PACE System • The PACE system is objective based. • The targeted objectives are fundamental to the success of the SLP and describe the specific skills necessary to provide quality services.

16. PACE System • The system is a portfolio based evaluation. • Sources of information to be included in the SLPs portfolio include: • Observation notes from a qualified supervisor • Surveys of teachers and parents • IEP documents • Schedules • Self assessments • Case files • Other forms of documentation

17. PACE System Evaluation Objectives

18. Demonstrate knowledge in the subject area of speech-language pathology and related areas An SLP needs to : • be knowledgeable in the assessment and treatment of the full range of communication disorders • understand the impact of communication disorders on academic and social performance • understand the specific laws and regulations that are fundamental to providing services in the school setting • have knowledge about practice ethics

19. Provide educationally relevant services reflecting evidenced based practice • In addition to understanding how to assess and treat individuals experiencing communication disorders, SLPs must embed the student’s curricular materials and objectives into the sessions. • The methods and strategies must also be evidenced-based to the greatest degree possible.

20. Provide services that are consistent with state and federal regulations for students with IEPs • IEP goals need to be appropriate and relevant to the needs of students and related to the common core standards . • Documents need to be written as required by regulations, and processed within appropriate time lines, using appropriate form. • IEP team members must be invited to contribute to the documents .

21. Demonstrate the ability to conduct appropriate comprehensive evaluations and assessments of students experiencing or at risk for a variety of speech and language and swallowing disorders • Assessments should contain information from standardized tests, curriculum based assessments, observational reports, classroom performance measures and should also include input from parents and teachers. • Information collected should be presented professionally and comprehensively and include recommendations for service delivery and goal attainment.

22. Provide a variety of appropriate and dynamic service delivery methods • The number and length of sessions provided and the location of the services (service delivery) should change throughout the school year, based on the needs and progress of the student. • The SLP should demonstrate the ability to vary service delivery accordingly. • SLP should be working within the general education classrooms as well as in the therapy room.

23. Demonstrate the ability to work with classroom teachers and other professionals • SLPs need to collaborate with classroom teachers, administrators, and other service providers to: • Ensure that services are relevant and facilitate progress with the curriculum • Provide information to staff regarding communication facilitating strategies that can be used in the classroom • Understand how to best integrate therapy goals into the child’s full school experience

24. Provide opportunities for families to be involved in the student’s SLP services • SLPs should be in communication with families to: • Collect input for diagnostic information • Acquire input for the design of the IEP • Report progress • Provide information regarding how families can support the therapy program within the home environment • Respond to questions and concerns

25. Earn sufficient continuing education or professional development units necessary to meet ASHA requirements for certification maintenance as well as state requirements • SLPs need to participate in continuing education designed to meet their specific needs • Although participation in district in service training is appropriate, they also need training specific to their unique roles and responsibilities

26. Contribute to various building or district initiatives • An SLP is encouraged to be involved in : • Response to Intervention initiatives at all three tiers • Presentations to staff and parent groups • Various building and district committees

27. Portfolio The portfolio, which is fundamental to the PACE, should include the following: • A sampling of case files containing: • Assessment and IEP documents • Progress reports • Therapy log reports • Therapy schedule • Reports to parents • Staff communications

28. Portfolio The portfolio should include the following: • Reports of observations conducted by individuals knowledgeable about the practice of speech-language pathology • A sampling of IEP documents • Teacher surveys • Parent surveys • Narrative input from the SLP

29. Portfolio The portfolio should include the following: • Record of participation in professional development programs • Copy of the SLP’s schedule at the beginning, middle and end of the year • Samples of presentations • Samples of RTI contributions

30. Other Considerations • Caseload/workload • Any evaluation process should take into account the workload of the individual being evaluated. • The workload should be reasonable enough to allow the SLP to provide appropriate services and to account for the wide range of activities and responsibilities that contribute to effective service provision. • ASHA’s workload resources can be found at: www.asha.org/slp/schools/resources/schools_resources_caseload.htm

31. Other Considerations Adequate resources • An SLP needs adequate resources to provide appropriate services. These resources should include: • Dedicated workspace with a computer, storage and furniture • Updated testing and therapy materials • A schedule that allows for time to consult and collaborate with colleagues and families • Access to general education curricular materials (e.g.,text books, teacher’s lesson plans) • Assistive technology for students

32. Evaluation Conclusion • Any evaluation system should be viewed as a tool to determine the strengths and limitations of professionals providing services. • An evaluation should be conducted by supervisors who have knowledge of the specific practice area. • Evaluations should assist professionals in identifying areas for targeted professional development.

33. PACE To learn more about and to download the components of the PACE go to: www.asha.org/Advocacy/state/Performance-Assessment-of-Contributions-and-Effectiveness/ • Many states/school districts are developing VAA systems for teachers and eventually other professions. To learn about what you state or local district is doing go to Appendices B and C of the document

34. Next Steps • Review the PACE resources • Use the PACE system to evaluate SLPs on a trial basis • Determine the strengths and limitations of the PACE system • Adopt the PACE system (either the original or an adapted version) for your district and/ or state • Use the PACE as a resource for developing systems to evaluate other related service providers